Shoe last



June 16, 1936. J, A, FlKANY 2,044,457

SHOE LAST Filed Jan. 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F5 4;, ATTORNEYS.

June 16, 1936. J. A. FIKANY fi fi' SHOE LAST Filed Jan. 15, 1936 2. Sh eet sSheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

W ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 16, 1936 g UNIT D STA ES PATENT OFFICE This invention is a shoe last of special shape, so that a shoe built around the last will correct abnormal foot conditions, and will tend to bring the foot back to normal.

One of the important features of the last is that it is provided with a groove, the forward end of which is just under the metatarsal arch, no groove extending backwardly, gradually growing shallower, nearly to the heel. The purpose of this groove is to provide a space in the shoe, for accommodating an arch support, particularly an adjustable arch support of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 3,353, filed January 24, 1935, patented June 16, '1936. This groove in the last is positioned in the region corresponding in the foot to the slander fascia tendon.

Another important feature of the last is that the forward sole portion is convex downwardly,

whereby a shoe built around the last would be concave downwardly, which is a natural and normal shape, and is an improvement over ordinary lasts, the forward sole portion of which is usually fiat.

Another important feature of the last is that it is provided with raised portions at either side of the forward portion of the groove just die-- scribed, these raised portions being positioned at points corresponding to'either end of the metatarsal arch. Thatis to say, one of these raised portions would form in the shoe a depression for accommodating the sesamoid bone, while the Jther raised portion would form in the shoe a depression for accommodating the head oi. the fifth metatarsal. Another feature of the last is that by reason if the shape, particularly the convex sole portion, the weigh of the user, in a shoe that has been built around the last, is thrown slightly toward the great toe. This is of some importance because the foot is not symmetrical and therefore more of the weight should be carried by ",hat half of the foot toward the sesamoid bone, rather than the part toward the fifth metatarsal joint.

Another important feature of the invention is that the lateral thickness of the last, from a point corresponding to the position of the sesamoid bone, back to the rear end of the os calcis is relatively narrow, even less than the null width of the foot. The result of this is, that in' a shoe built around the last, such shoe will exert "a very definite lateral pressure on the foot over the entire extent of the inner longitudinal arch, thereby tending to force the bones oi the foot toward their normal positions.

and this high and narrow longitudinal arch is very effective in bringing the bones back to a' normal position.

At the rear end of this narrowed longitudinal arch portion, that is to say, in the region cor- In many cases, these bones are displaced from the normal,

responding to the scaphoid bone, and also in the region of the forward portion of the os calcis, the lateral thickness or the last is small, so that a shoe built around the last will exert a strong lateral pressure on the foot, particularly on the scaphoid bone, and will hold the bones in normal position, or, if displaced, will tend to force them back to a normal position.

The firm, snug grip exerted by a shoe built on such a last, narrowed laterally in the region of the inner longitudinal arch, is also effective in preventing rotation of the heel, or a lateral rocking of the foot in the shoe.

The main features of the invention having been thus outlined, the invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved last;

Fig. 21's a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan;

Figs. t to 11, inclusive, are sections respectively on the lines l-t, 5-5, 6-8, ll-l, lit-t,

as, lit-4t, li-li of Fig. 3;

Figs. 12 to 15 are sections respectively on the Fig. 16 is a perspective view; and

Fig. 17 is a section on the line lll'l of Fig. 16. Referring now to these drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, the lastcornprises a forward or toe portion 2 and a rear or heel portion t, which are pivoted together in the usual way, the line of separation being indicated att. The last is preferably made a of wood, with such metal inserts as arecustommy in the The sole portion 8 of the last is convex downwardly both longitudinally and laterally, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the convexity being such that when the last is supported by. heel til, it tends to contact its support somewhat oil center, toward the sesamoid bone, as shown more particularly at points l2 and it in Figs. 5 and 6. In other words, the center of support may be said to be off-center, toward the sesamoid.

The sole portion is provided with slightly raised areas, corresponding to either end of the metatarsal arch, the raised portion under the sesa- Inoid bone being shown at l6 and the raised portion under the fifth metatarsal head at l8.

Just between these raised portions l6 and ii there is a groove 20, which is fairly deep and wide at its forward end which is under the metatarsal arch, and which gradually gets shallower and shallower until it practically disappears just forward of the heel, at about the point indicated at 22. The purpose of this groove, as has been mentioned, is to form in the shoe a space for accommodating an arch support, particularly an adjustable arch support of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 3,353, filed January 24, 1935, patented June 16, 1936.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, the instep portion 23 has its outer bottom portion 24 projected further downwardly than the opposite or inner side 25, the inner side rising more rapidly toward the inner longitudinal arch indicated generally by the line 26, whereby the resulting shoe would give a strong upward lift to the longitudinal arch of the foot.

The last, along a curved line corresponding generally to the inner longitudinal arch, which curved line is shown in Fig. l at 26, is made relatively narrow, so that a shoe built around the last will exert an inwardly and upwardly directed supporting force along the longitudinal arch, which in case of a fallen arch would tend to force the bones back to the normal position. This narrow portion of the shoe would extend sub stantially from the sesamoid bone along approximately the line 26 to the rear end of the heel, as shown in Fig. 1.

The heel portion of the last; as shown more particularly in Figs. 12 to 15, is also made narrower than usual and shaped as shown in Figs. 12 to 15, so that a shoe built on the last would exert a strong lateral pressure on the scaphoid bone and the os calcis, the line of application of this lateral pressure rising along the rear part of the line 26'. The different successive heights of 26 are indicated in Figs.'12 to 15 by 26a, 28b, 26c and 26d. This narrowing of the heel portion of a shoe built on the last tends to force the bones back to normal position, in case they have become displaced.

Referring to the perspective view, Fig. 16, the

sole portion 8 is convex downwardly, considered both about longitudinal and transverseaxes. The greater depth of the groove 20 in the forward portion is more apparent in this figure, this groove getting shallower and shallower until it practically disappears, as at 22. The forward portion of the groove 20 is directly under the metatarsal arch. This would leave a space in a shoe hcilt on the last, which space accommodates the forward or metatarsal arch-supporting portion of the arch support, shown in my copending application already referred to. v

The high narrowed instep is shown ,in this fig-- ure, the outer longitudinal edge of the instep being defined generally by the lines 26 and 26''. The

lateral thickness of the last coextensive with the lines 26 and 28, which lateral thickness is indicated in Fig. 17 by the line L, is made, as has been mentioned, relatively narrow, whereby a shoe built around the last will exert a strong upward and inward pressure onv the longitudinal arch;

this pressure is exerted high up on the longitudinal arch, which will tend to force the'bones of the I foot into their normal positions.

I claim:

A shoe last the forward sole portion of which is convex downwardly, and which is provided with raised areas corresponding to the positions of the sesamoid and fifth metatarsal head, the last also having an upwardly convex groove, the forward and deeper portion of said groove being positioned between said raised areas and under the metatarsal arch, the groove extending rearwardly and generally longitudinally,

dinal arch extending in a high are or curve sub stantially from the 'sesamoid to the 0s calcis portions thereof, the last being made substantially narrow transversely or laterally thereof, throughout the portion coextensive with said longitudi- JAMES A. FIKANY.

growing gradually shallower toward the heel, the last having a longitu- 

